Monday, 31 August 2020

Red-Headed Woodpecker...

We're more used to seeing this type of bird in the thick forests located at many Indiana State Parks. This is a red-headed woodpecker and it was enjoying pecking for tasty morsels at the top of the street light pole. It even took some time to stretch its wings! :)

Perched atop the street light pole.
The woodpecker pecking the pole.

Unusual Creatures...

I spotted a couple of unusual insects in our garden recently. The leaf-like catydid (at right) is the second-one that I have seen here in Indiana, while the cicada is actually quite common. It is more often heard than seen up in the trees and it looks really bizarre!

 

 The camouflaged catydid.

 The outer shell from which the cicada emerges.

The freshly-hatched cicada.

Sunday, 30 August 2020

Butterflies and Moths in the Garden...

With having so many flowers and plants growing, we have had a number of butterflies and moths visiting our garden recently - like this eastern tiger swallowtail at left. We have also noticed a number of monarch caterpillars on our milkweed plants. Here are some of our favourite little visitors! :) 

 

 A tiny moth on a leaf.

Polyphemus moth.

Monarch caterpillar.

 
 
Monarch chrysalis on the side of our house.

Monarch butterfly on our milkweed plant.

Black swallowtail.

Orange sulphur butterfly.

Saturday, 29 August 2020

Gifts from our Garden...

We planted a vegetable garden in our little garden box over the spring. We have been blessed by many yummy fruits and vegetables over the late spring and summer. We have had radishes, beetroot, carrots, peppers, tomatoes, okra, cucumbers, cantaloupe (spanspek in South Africa) and watermelon. It's been awesome to be able to grow our own food! :)

We first planted two rows of radishes.
They were delicious!
Our homegrown beetroot.
The vegetable patch in late-June.
Bell peppers growing in buckets.
Our carrots were a success.
Cucumbers - yum!
One of the first spanspeks.
It was one of the best melons I've ever tasted!
Tomatoes!
Excited boy!
Early morning dew forms a pretty pattern around the edge of this leaf.

Wednesday, 26 August 2020

The Lighthouse Keeper's Lunch...

Another one of my favourite stories growing up was The Lighthouse Keeper's Lunch, by Ronda and David Armitage. Riaan and I used Lego to recreate the cottage on the cliffs overlooking the lighthouse - complete with the wire connecting the cottage and the lighthouse. Now if only those pesky seagulls would leave the lighthouse keeper's lunch alone!

 The Lighthouse Keeper's Lunch.

Mr Grinling at the top of his lighthouse - awaiting his lunch!

Those pesky seagulls!

Mrs Grinling was not too happy. She needs to make a plan to defeat the seagulls! :)

Monday, 24 August 2020

Poetry Tea Time...

After supper one evening in early August, we had one of our traditional poetry tea times. This is when we read a story or a poem while sipping hot cups of tea and eating a few yummy treats. It's one of our fun family traditions. I read one of my favourite childhood stories, Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain, by Verna Aardema. :)

Reading the story to the kiddos. :)

Family poetry tea time selfie. :)

Sunday, 23 August 2020

Camping at Spring Mill State Park...

We camped at Spring Mill State Park recently. (31st July - 1st August.) We were meant to stay for another night, but unfortunately Riaan came down with a fever and so we left early. We had a fun 24 hours, though, despite the frequent thunderstorms!

Cup of coffee while camping.
Riaan standing near the flooded pedestrian bridge.
The flooded creek.
Eliza and Riaan loved all the puddles!
A "cake" of foam caught in an eddy.
A close-up of the foam.
Riaan at the entrance to the flower garden.
The historic grist-mill.
The cog mechanism for the wheel inside the mill.
Riaan and I walked up to Hamer Cave - where there are a couple of staggered dams and from where the water that feeds the mill flows.
Selfie with Riaan.

View of the swollen creek and the mill.

We put up our tent (to dry it out) in the living room once home. The kiddos had a blast!

Thursday, 20 August 2020

Braaiing Fun...

We had a lekker braai (nice barbeque) in our back garden at the end of July. Braaiing is a South African tradition and I need to do it more often! :)

 The children watch the fire burn down.

 Meat, garlic bread, and potatoes (underneath) cooking on the braai.

Toasted sarmies - yum!

Rusty keeping an eye out for any scraps! :)